Hey guys, my name is Shawn. I've been reading/viewing these boards for quite some time. Doing ALOT of searching and ALOT of reading, there is a huge "Thank You" due to all you guys for all your help. I have a 97 RS. Currently has 145k on it. And in short, has been through a little degree of hell. Haha. When I got the car, it was bone stock and had about 105k on it, i think. After a few months, the first thing I did was put rims on it. Got them used from a good friend for very cheap. Here's the car after about a year.




Well, that only lasted about another 6 months. I was sharing the car with my girlfriend at the time, and one weekend as she was driving past a construction zone, hit a rock about the size of a musk mellon. Cracked both rims on the drivers side and ripped one of the tires. So there went those. At some other point, she came home from work and I was washing the car and noticed the paint on the rear bumper was cracked and chipping. Someone had backed into the car while she was at work and just left, in this town...doesn't suprise me one bit, but needless to say, I was still pissed.

Then the "big one" happened. She was going somewhere, it had just rained, so the roads were wet. She was a habitual speeder, long story short...rear ended a van. Not hard, but it had a hitch so that did enough damage. Bent up the hood, put a hole in the bumper, the radiator, A/C condensor, and caught the edge of the drivers side headlight too. I didn't have my license when we got the car, so I put it in her name. So, she just wanted to junk it and get a new car. At this point it was way too late. I had fallen in love with the car and that just wasn't happening. So I saved up, did ALOT of reading here and slowly put her back together.

So, instead of getting stock parts, I knew I wanted to customize it a little more and ended up getting a stock type CF hood, Griffin aluminum radiator with 2 12" Flex a Lite fans, Blitz bumper, and Projector style headlights. Took about 2 months, waiting for parts and drilling out rusted bolts...Haha. but I finally got her back on the road.

A few months later, had a bad vibration in the front end and investigated what ended up becoming another month long project. In all I ended up replacing the drivers side outer tie rod, upper tie rod, and lower lateral arm.....and on the passanger side, inner and outer tie rods, upper also, lateral and the curved control arm.....and on the passanger side the axle nut was rust welded to the knuckle. Tried PB, an impact, a torch...nothin. Eventually had to remove the knuckle and axle as one piece and replace them.

Got some Blitz side skirts.

Got an AEM short ram.

Did some painting of the interior.

Did a little damage myself. Came home from work one day, car was overheating a little, so I took the hood pins out and went inside to let it cool before removing the cap. Got distracted inside, got a phone call and needed to go somewhere pretty quick, came outside, jumped in my car and took off down the street...a block down the road my hood comes flying up and smashes into the windsheild and roof. Thankfully didn't even crack my windsheild, but it cracked the shit out of my 8 month old CF hood

Got another set of used rims from a different friend for cheap.

Then I got picked up by a signed band and went on tour for 2 years and my car sat.

Which brings us up to present day. Back home, got my car out of my moms garage, new battery, a good wash of the car and I finally get to drive my car again!!! Here are some pics I took today.

Welcome, props on using the search button

Nice 2g color,nice wheels some won't like your interior (RED pieces)I recommend painting them black. Black panels and grey carpet looks good least you didn't go over board with the Red paint.
Nice wheel choice, your old ones reminds me of my brothers Mx-6/probe,just terrible.

Whats your plans for it and you must play guitar or a roadie since you mentioned about being picked up by a band.

My plans, realistically.....haha, would be to mold the skirts and get the car painted. Most likely black, but I'm debating on painting it the stock grey pearl. The interior is only half finished and a few of the parts that are done need to be gone over and cleared. I'd like to do a rebuild, top and bottom, but nothing crazy...just build it to be strong and maybe down the line do a turbo and run small boost, like 8-10psi. It's still my DD, so I don't have current plans to go crazy with it. Who knows, maybe down the line with album sales and tour I'll have money to buy a brand new car and then the Eclipse will be crazy. Haha. But realistically I would just like a clean, good looking daily driver with a little pep in it.

And yes, I searched my balls off for everything I've done to/with the car. I see people get ripped apart left and right on here for asking some ridiculously stupid questions. So I just stayed in the shadows and read alot and every question I had was answered within a few minutes. I know theres alot of "stocker" type guys on here, but that's just not me. To each his own. I love the car in general, modded or not. It's just dead sexy.

Oh, and I play bass. The band is 12 Stones.

good job on staying in there and not just throwing in the towel man. i can relate with all the headaches.

Yeah, when she mentioned just junking it and getting a new car, I flipped out. Haha....I've got faith in my car. It's funny because no one gets it, and then I come on these boards and find others just like me

Welcome! I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one that searched and lurked for a long time before bothering to actually poke my head in and say something

Keep the car the factory color! It's one of the best colors that they used and pretty rare to see. You're probably not going to get any props for the blitz kit around here, but if it's what you like then that's what matters.

Many of us have been through the same headaches that you have, it's part of loving a car. Hopefully your girl understands the attachment to your car, if she doesn't then at least you're not married

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

Well the girl that did all the damage to the car, we're no longer together. And thank god. Haha. Thats been a few years ago, I have a new girl now that has her own car and knows she will never see behind the wheel of mine It all turned out for the best.

Yeah, I know the Blitz bumper isn't liked too well, or the painted interior...but I had to get rid of the grey, and I like the Blitz bumper.. fuck F&F. Haha.

Well I have no room to talk when it comes to painted interiors

I can't stand the gray either. I painted my interior solid black other than a few choice trim pieces that are Mopar grabber green, and those may get repainted body color when I repaint the car later this year.

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

Got bored yesterday while my girl was at the DMB concert and decided to clean up and paint the drums and visable suspension parts.







Ran out of daylight, going to do the calipers today.

Nice color to hide the drums.

There's a good write up with pictures for the rear drum to rear disc brake swap. Just a thought I like you know if you're planning on doing it.

Did the calipers today.




Of course I went with black.....who wants to say "Hey look at my stock drums and calipers!!!" Haha...Yeah, just cleaned em up and made them not rust color.


Next on the agenda is goin to a junkyard and getting an intake to P&P and then possibly power coat, and after that the 60mm TB.

And then...

And then.....

Haha.....it's never ending.

Its looking pretty good man, and i agree with the curse part. Its never ending haha. The only thing i dont like is the red interior parts but everything else is looking pretty good. Ohh and i was myspace creeping your band, and your in guitar hero? thats sick.

Thank you mobil one for rust proofing my driveway.

So, more trouble today.....well sort of, more humor than anything.

Had my car towards the end of the driveway last night, went to move the car today and it wouldn't start. It was turning over, but no fire. So I'm thinking, it sat for two years, it's probably the fuel filter. My buddy comes over and we're checking the spark plugs and wires and whatnot and I stopped for a second and thought...."I only have about an 1/8th tank of gas, and the car is on a slope (nose down)."

So, throw the car in neutral, roll it out in the road where it's flat....fires right up

Originally posted by irregular defect
So, more trouble today.....well sort of, more humor than anything. Had my car towards the end of the driveway last night, went to move the car today and it wouldn't start. It was turning over, but no fire. So I'm thinking, it sat for two years, it's probably the fuel filter. My buddy comes over and we're checking the spark plugs and wires and whatnot and I stopped for a second and thought...."I only have about an 1/8th tank of gas, and the car is on a slope (nose down)." So, throw the car in neutral, roll it out in the road where it's flat....fires right up

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

Really? Wow. I've never chanced it like that. I always refill right around the 1/8th tank mark.

This weekend I'm picking up some new goodies and should have them in the car by next weekend. Some stock, some for flash, and some for performance.

I'll have to see if I still have a pic of that. it's pretty scary.

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

Went to go change the fuel filter today. Snapped the head off of one bolt, a storm was on its way and close, so gave up on that one. Rust is a bitch Just gonna spray it a few times a day with PB for the next few days and take it to my buddys shop and try it again on the lift. Wouldn't be the first time I replaced every bolt on a part that I snapped the bolts off, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Haha.

and your filter is in a really annoying place.

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

Yeah, a very annoying place. With annoying rusted bolts.

dalesmitsu, Just a helpful tip....It tells you to depressurize the system first. Take off the back seat, and there are two covers with 4 screws on them, its the one directly behind the passenger seat NOT the one in the middle. And then start the car and let it die, blah blah blah...the manual explains it. Just wanted to warn you with cover to pull off.

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

Originally posted by dalesmitsu

Originally posted by RoninEclipse2G

Originally posted by dalesmitsu

Originally posted by RoninEclipse2G and your filter is in a really annoying place.

I have 97 gs is it the same, I've heard its in front of the passenger rear tire. I'm changing mine on my next day off, just wondering.

Yup, if you've got a 96 or newer it's there. only the 95's had the filter in the engine bay hididng behind the washer reservoir

that could cause fire in the 95's also I'm thankful I didnt buy a 95.

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

so could a rotting fuel hose. doesn't stop manufacturers from using those now does it?

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

true

Well, now that you guys got that settled....Haha.....

My valve cover should be here Monday and my header should be here Wednesday. I already went and picked up the oil pan, gauge pod, intake mani, and cat back from Talonized. Hopefully be able to get into the shop next weekend and get most of it installed. The intake mani won't be going on right away, I'm probably going to ship it out somewhere to have it ported and polished, and then go grab the 60mm TB I found in a junkyard. So that may be a few more weeks. Can't wait to get it done though and see what kind of improvements I get.

While your at pickapart yard lol, try to find an GST with catback exhaust, you can use the axle back of the stock GST it should be dual pipes at the end.
Add this plus with a new Magnaflow catalytic converter, also a ebay short ram intake. You could find both under 200 on ebay would add some power to it.

Well, that's good advice, thanks.....but I already have a cat back + cat/resonator pipe, picked it up last Sunday from Talonized. And I already have an AEM intake, take a look at the pics in the first post

I did go to a pick and pull with my friend yesterday though, I just rode along, didn't plan on getting anything.....then I seen a 98 jeep, took a peek...sure enough, the throttle body was on it and in good shape, snagged it up for 44 bucks.

a 98 wrangler or cherokee, what type of motor was it v6 v8.

I don't remember. The in-line 6, 4.0.

Mr. UPS man gave me a visit....





Installation soon.

Originally posted by irregular defect
Mr. UPS man gave me a visit.... http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y6/ileft4deadi/valvecover. jpg Installation soon.

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

is that valve cover the one that was posted on ebay about a week or 2 ago at an original bid of 25 (my bid) with 20 shipping and no core charge? i was bidding on that thing....

Not this one. I picked mine up from a guy on here.

Got the header and exhaust installed today. What a bitch. 7 hours of fun.....not. FUCK that godamn heat shield. But, it sounds amazing....short drive home, so I'm not sure about the power band yet.

Post pics tomorrow.

After payday, buy the gaskets and the oil pan and valve cover will be on.

what where the problems you ran into with the install HD/ex I know from mine the bolts where a pita rusty mostly snap heads on two-three.

Yeah, just rust. Lots and lots of rust. Broke 5 of the 7(i think) bolts on the hangers and such. The heat shield bolts were rusted to all hell, and of course you can't get to the header bolts themselves off unless the heat shield is outta the way first. Took about 2 hours to get the heat shield and header off. Everything was pretty much smooth sailing after that. The exhaust I got was used and pre-welded/fitted to a Talon, so all the hanger mounts were there and in the right place.

I've found that exhaust bolts are usually a 2 day job. Spray the fuck out of them with PB blaster or liquid wrench a few times (bare minimum of 2) the first day. Enjoy the rest of your night and start wrenching on them the next day. 90% of the time they'll come right off.

Erik P.
Official 2GNT thread Hijacker
Some say that he's driven over more Covenant than he's shot, and that his grenades aren't where you'd expect them to be...
All we know is, He's not The Stig... But he is The Stig's Spartan cousin!

they do say that love and pain come hand inhand